Boot or shoe sewing machine



(No Model.) 14 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' A. EPPLER, Jr.

BOOT 0R SHOE SEWING MACHINE.

' No. 447,872. Patented Mar. 10, 1891.

WITNESSES: NVE-NTUPKL W M/ W I m: mums PETERS cm, mom-urns wsmum'cu u c (No Model.) 14 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. EPPLER, Jr. BOOT 0R SHOESEWING MACHINE.

No. 447,872; Patented Mar. 10, 1891.

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' (No Model.) 14 SheetsSheet 3.

A EPPLER, Jr. BOOT 0R SHOE SEWINGMAGHINE.

No. 447,872. I Patented Mar. 10,1891

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WI'TNE SSES I l l INVEN'TUR" WM, I

- (No Model.) 14'Sheets-Sheet 4.

A. EPPLBR, Jr.

BOOT OR SHOE SEWING MACHINE. No. 447,872,. Patentedl Mar. 10,1891.

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A. EPPLER, Jr. BOOT 0R SHOE SEWING MAGHINE.

No. 447,872. Patented Mar. 10, 1891.

WITNESSES (No Model.) 14 Sheets-Sheet 6.

A. EPPLER, Jr.

BOOT 0R SHOE SEWING MACHINE; No. 447,872. Patented Mar. 10, 1891.

WITNESSES d INVENTURH (No Model.) 14 Sheets-Sheet 7.

A. EPPLER, J1". BOOT 0R SHOE SEWING MACHINE.

Patented MarilO, 1891.

INVENQTQEJZJ v ir gfi f 'WIT N E SSESL' (No Model.) 14 SheetS -Sheet s.

A. EPPLER, Jr. BOOT OR SHOE SEWING MACHINE.

No. 447,872. Patent ed Mar. 10, 1891.

, ITNESSES INVENTEIFEA (No Model.) 14 Sheets-Sheet 10.

A. EPPLER, Jr. BOOT 0R SHOE SEWING MACHINE.

No. 447,872. Patented Mar. '10, 1891.

E S S E N T (NoModeL) 14 Sheets-Sheet 11.

A. EPPLER, Jr. BOOT 0R SHOE SEWING MACHINE.

No. 447,872. Patented Mar. 1 0 1891.

INVENTORY! we NORRIS rnzns co woman-na wnsnmmou, 04 c,

(No Model.) 14 Sheets-Sheet 12.

A. EPPLER, J'r. BOOT 0R SHOE SEWINGMA-GHINE.

No. 447,872. Patented Mar. 10, 1891.

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A. EPPLER, Jr V BOOT 0R SHUE SEWING MACHINE.

No. 447,872. Patented Man-10, 1891.

WW-MESS}: 8::

NITE'D STAT S ATENT OFFI E.

ANDREWV EPPLER, JR, OF NEW'TONVILLE, ASSIGNOR TO THE EPPLER \VELT MACHINE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOOT OR SHOE SEWING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 447,872, dated March 10, 1891.

Application filed September 1, 1890- Serial No. 363,735. (No model.)

' To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ANDREW EPPLER, J r., of Newtonville, in the county of llliddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Sewing \Velts to Uppers and Inner Soles of Boots or Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to boot or shoe sewing machines employing a curved needle reciprocating in the arc of a circle; and it has for its object to provide a simple and effective machine of this class in which a welt-guide is combined with the stitch-forming mechanism to hold a welt in the proper position on the upper and in which the needle is ar ranged to draw the welt against the upper and toward the inner sole in forming the stitches, the interlocked portions of the stitches being formed within the channel of the sole, while the single-thread portions lie on the welt, so that the welt is drawn to and held closely in its proper position by the stitches and is caused to support the singlethread portions of the stitches and by its superior strength and toughness prevent said portions from cutting and sinking into their support, as they would be likely to do if they were supported by the comparatively yielding and insubstantial material of the inner sole.

The invention also has for its object to provide means for twisting the enchained portions of the loops of a series of single-thread chain stitches, and thereby preventing the chain from raveling in the event of the breakage of any part thereof, and also preventing the enchained loops from cutting into the material in which they are formed, said material in a boot or shoe sole being the comparatively yielding and spongy leather at the bottom'of the channel, which is cut to receive the chain. 'These results I attain by the mechanism which I will now proceed to describe.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this'specification, Figures 1 and 2 represent side elevations of my improved masection on line 5 5, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 represents a section on line 6 6, Fig. 1, looking toward the left. Fig. 7 represents a section on line 7 7, Fig. 1', looking toward the left. Fig. 8 represents a section on line 8 8, Fig. 2. Fig. 9 represents a side view of the looper and a portion of the needle, showing by dotted lines the course of the looper around the needle. Fig. 10 represents a section on line 10 10, Fig. 2. Fig. 11 represents a section on line 10 10, Fig. 2. Fig. 11 represents a section on line 11 11, Fig. 1. Fig. 12 represents a side view of the needle-carrying arm and cast-oft. Fig. 13 represents a section on line l3 13, Fig. 3, looking toward the left. Fig. 14 represents a section on line 14 14., Fig. 1 3. Fig. 15 represents a perspective view of the welt-guide shown in Figs. 13 and 14. Fig. 16 represents and their operating-levers and a portion of a boot or shoe on a last, the said parts being in the relative positions they occupy when the awl is penetrating th e workbefo re moving laterally to feed the same. Fig. 17 represents a transverse section of a portion of the inner sole, up-

per, welt, and last, and a side view of a portion of the fixed channel-guide, the latter being omitted from Fig. 16 to show the Welt-guide more clearly. Fig. 18 represents a side view of a portion of the machine, showing the movable rest that supports the boot orshoe below the stitch-forming devices and the means for locking and releasing said rest. Fig. 19 represents a section on line 19 19, Fig. 18. Figs. 20 to 24, inclusive, represent perspective views showing the manner of twisting .the enchained portions of the stitch-loops.

Fig. represents a perspective view of a series of stitches the enchained loops of which are twisted, said stitches being formedin the channel ofa boot 0r shoe sole, which, with portions of the upper and Welt, are shown in section, the section being taken through the welt, the upper, and the between substance, or the part of the inner sole between the upper and the bottom of the channel in said sole. Figs. 26, 26, 26 and 26 are detail views to illustrate the operation of the looper in carrying a loop of thread one and a half times around the needle and then returning to its initial position.

too

The same letters and numerals of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, a represents the support: ing head or frame, to which is rigidly attached the downwardly-projecting channel gage or guide I), the latter being a curved and pointed finger formed, as shown in Fig. 17, to enter the channel 0, formed in the inner sole d.

6 represents the driving-shaft, which is journaled in hearings in the frame a.

frepresents the welt-guide proper, which is composed of the sides of a slot formed in the end of a lever f, which is provided with' a hub f, Fig. 4, fitted both to oscillate and move endwise on a tubular or hollow stud g, affixed to the frame a. The upper end of the lever f carries a trundle-roll 7L, Figs. 13 and 14, which is held by the pressure of a spring 2' against an inclined rib or fiangej on a verticallyrreciprocating slide 70. Said slide, which is fitted to move between vertical guides or ways Z Z, Flg. 13, on the frame a, is normally raised by a spring m, Fig. 14, and depressed by a cam n, Figs. 1 and 13, on the driving-shaft 6, said cam bearing on atrundlerollo on the upper end of the slide It.

p represents the curved awl, which is attached to one end of a lever 19, the latter having two arms or branches on which are sockets or hubs 19" 9", one of which is fitted to oscillate on the hub f" of the welt-guide lever and the other on the hollow stud g, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 16, the awl-lever being thus adapted to oscillate on said stud g.

The awl-lever p is provided with a slot which receives a block q, Figs. 1, 4t, and 16, which is pivoted to a slide r, adapted to slide vertically between suitable fixed guides on the frame a, and is provided at its upper end with a trundle-roll 8, Figs. 1 and 6, which ente-rs a cam-groove t, Fig. 6, in the back of the disk on which the cam 12 is formed. The downward movement of the slide causes the inclined rib thereon to move the weltguidefaway from the fixed channel-guide 6, while the upward movement of said slide, caused by the spring m, moves the welt-guide toward the fixed channel-guide, said spring enabling the slide to be stopped in its upward movement by the contact of the weltguide with the shoe-upper, so that the weltguide conforms automatically to the thickness of material between the outer surface of the'upper and the bottom of the channel a in the inner sole. The downward movement of the slide 0" moves the awl-lever p to throw the awl forward in the arc of a circle toward the channel-guide I), while the upward movement of said slide moves the awl-lever to retract the awl.

The welt-guide leverf and the awl-lever p are movable together laterally on the stud g to enable the awl to feed the work and return to its starting position, and to this end said levers are moved on said stud in the direction required to give the awl its workfeeding movement by a lever u, Figs. 3 and 4:, pivoted at t to the frame a, and a cam w on the driving-shaft bearing on a trundle-rolla: on said lever u, the latter having at its lower end an adjustable stud y, bearing on a cap f', secured upon the hub f on the welt-guide lever. (See Figs. 3, 4, and 16.) The said awl and welt-guide levers are moved in the opposite direction when permitted by the recession of the cam 20 by a spring-plunger .2, Fig. 4, which is fitted to slide in the stud g, and is pressed against the cap f by a spring 2, which is supported by an adjustable plug .2, screwed into one end of the stud g.

lVhen the awl is in its work-perforating position, (in which position it is held by the plunger 2,) its point is directly opposite the point of the channel-guide b, so that when the awl advances to penetrate the work it moves directly toward the pointof said guide, the latter being arranged in the path of .the awl. The result of this arrangement is that the channel-guide supports the material against the pressure of the awl, so that there is no tendency on the part of the awl to displace the work or cause it to swing or turn on the channel-guide as there would beif the awl and guide were not at this time in line with each other. The forward movement of the awl is stopped just before its point reaches the channel-guide, so that there is no actual contact of the awl with said guide.

A represents the needle, which is attached to an arm or lever B, mounted to oscillate on a fixed tubular stud (1, Figs. 10 and 12, said stud being suitably affixed to the supportingframe. The needle is'oscillated by means of a cam D on the driving-shaft, a lever E, pivoted to the frame a and engaged at one end with said cam, and a rod F, connecting said lever with the needle arm or lever B.

It will be observed by reference to Figs. 1 and 2 that the needle and guard are arranged at one side of the channel-guide b and the awl and welt-guide and looper at the opposite side, so that the needle in drawing the loops of thread and forming the stitches pulls or draws the welt inwardly against the upper and toward the inner sole. It will also be observed by reference to Fig. 3 that the plane in which the needle oscillates is at the left of the point of the channel-guide, so that the needle in entering the work passes by the channel guide without interference there with.

The needle-guard G is attached to an arm G on a rod or rock-shaft H, the latter being journaled in the tubular stud O and provided at one end with an arm I, Figs. 2 and 10,

which is connected by a rod J with a slide K, which is reciprocated vertically in ways in the frame a by means of a cam-groove L, Fig. 3, said groove receiving a trundle-roll M on the slide K. A positive oscillating motion is imparted to the needle-guard by means of the cam-groove L and the described intermediate devices. The positive operation of the needle-guard, in contradistinction to the yielding IIO movement of the guard by a spring, as heretofore, is a feature of my invention, its advantage being entire freedom from liability of the needle-guard to be accidentally displaced.

N represents the looper or thread-carrier, which is a bent or curved finger having a thread-guiding eye N in its lower end and which is attached at its upper end to a lever 0. Said lever is pivoted at P to an arm Q, formed on a three-armed lever Q, which in turn is pivoted at R to the supporting-frame. The upper arm of the lever Q has a trundleroll Q which is held by a spring S, Fig. 3, against a cam T on the driving-shaft, and the upper end of the lever Ois engaged by means of atrundle-roll U thereon with a cam-groove U on one side of the cam T. It will be seen, therefore, that the lever O has a compound movement, one caused by its own oscillations on the pivot P and the other by the oscillations of the lever Q on its pivot R, the result of the two movements being a revolving movement of the thread guiding eye N around the needle, as indicated by the dotted arrow in Fig. 9 and by Figs. 20 to 23, inclusive, said movement twisting the chain portions of the stitches, as presently described.

V represents a rest for the side of the lasted upper located below the channel-gage b and the stitch-forming devices and arranged to bear on the upper immediately below the point where the stitches are formed. Said rest is a head or enlargement formed on a shank V, which is fitted to slide horizontally in a way formed in a casing V attached to the frame a. The shank is provided with rack-teeth V meshing with a pinion V on a shaft V which is journaled in the casing V The rest V is normally pressed outwardly in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 18 by a spring V which is affixed at one end to the frame a, Fig. 1, and bears at its free end against a rod V affixed to the shank V, so that when the shank is free to move the rest is kept pressed against the upper and is adapted to stand at various distances from the fixed channel-gage b, the rest being thus adapted to conform to the varying projection of the side of the upper from the channel 0. The shank V is left free to move endwise, as above described, when the needle is outside of the work, but is locked and made rigid during the portion of the forward movement of the needle which occurs when the needle is penetrating the work and during the withdrawal of the needle from the work, so that the rest firmly supports the boot orshoe while the needle is in contact with it. The locking of the shank and rest is accomplished by means of a dog V on a lever V which is pivoted at V to the casing V a ratchet V attached to the shaft V" the pinion on said shaft, and an arm V on the rod F, which connects the needle-arm B with the lever E, that operates the needle-arm. When the needle is retracted and outside of the Work, the connecting-rod F-is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 18, its arm V bearing on the lever V and holding dog V out of engage ment with the ratchet V. Vhen the connecting rod F is moved outwardly in the direction required to force the needle into the work, the arm V leaves the lever V as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 18, whereupon a spring V moves said lever sufficiently to engage the dog V with the ratchet, and thus lock the latter and through the shaft V and pinion V the shank V and rest V, said parts remaining locked while the needle is entering and leaving the work. When the needle has withdrawn from the work, the rod F resumes the position shown in full lines in Fig. 18 and raises the dog from the pawl, so that the rest is free to move in and out.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The welt a being placed in the welt-guide, the lasted boot or shoe is held by the operator in the position shown in Figs. 16 and 17, with the channel-guide b in the channel 0 of the inner sole. The awl and welt-guide at one side of the channel-guide and the needle at the opposite side are now separated or at their farthest positions from the channel-guide, the awl being at this time directly opposite the point of the channel-guide, so that when the awl advances it presses directly toward the channel-guide, as above stated. The machine being started, the welt-guide first moves forward until it bears against the upper and holds the welt in the proper position with relation to the upper, as shown in Fig. 16. The awl then moves toward the channelguide until it penetrates the welt, upper, and between substance. The awl and weltguide then move laterally until the awl is in line with the needle, the awl being thus caused to feed the work. The needle then advances and at the same time the awl retreats, the needle being thus caused to enter the hole made by the awl. After the needle has moved forward its full stroke and while it holds the work, the looper, which when the needle first enters the work stands in the position shown in Fig. 20 at the left of the needle, commences to revolve about the needle in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 20, 21, 22, and 23, passing first under the needle in a direction opposite that in which the work is fed by the awl and then upwardly over the needle in the opposite direction, and then again under the needle in the same direction as before, stopping in the position shown in Fig. 23 at the right of the needle after having made a complete revolution and a part of a second revolution around the needle. The above-described operation of the looper is illustrated in detail in Figs. 26, 26, 26", and 26, in which the position of the needle is denoted by the point of intersection of the broken lines near the looper N. In these figures,

1, Fig..26, indicates the initial position of the eye of the looper, which advances successively to the positions 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 as the cams '1 and U advance, said looper-eye thus moving from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 26 through the positions shown in dotted and full lines in said figure and Figs. 26 and 26 and stopping at or near position 6, Fig. 26 (at which time it has passed once and a half times around the needle,) until the needle has been retracted to draw the twisted loop held thereon into the Work. From position 6 the looper moves to position 7, while the portion of the cam-groove U from point 9 to point 10 is moving past the roll U, and from point 7 the looper-eye moves in nearly a straight line through position 8 to its first position, while the cam-groove advances from point 10 to point 11 and beyond past the roll U. This movement of the looper twists the thread around the needle above the barb thereof, as shown in Fig. 23, so that when the needle is retracted the twist will pass off from the needle and remain in the loop, as shown in Fig. 24, the result beingthat when the loop is interlocked or enchained with the succeeding loop and properly taken up the en chained portion will remain twisted,so that the chain of stitches will be composed of a series of twisted loops, as shown in Fig. 25. The above-described movement of thelooper, first under the needle from the side toward which the work is moved by the feed, or, in other words, in a direction opposite the feeding movement or from the back side of the needle, then over the needle in the direction of the feeding movement, and, finally, again under the needle in the same direction as at the first movement, is essential to the production of the twisted loops, and is the result of a long series of experiments. Before the revolution of the looper about the needle the welt-guide is moved away from the needle to afford room for the described movement of the looper around the needle. The awl and Welt-guide are at the same time given their back feed, or, in other words, are moved back to their original or starting position. After the back feed, the welt-guide moves forward to hold the work against the channel-guide, and then the needle withdraws and pulls the loop of thread surrounding it through the welt, upper, and between substance, and through the loop previously made, the needle-guard disengaging the last loop from the barb of the needle, as usual.

The provision of means, as above described, for twisting the loops forming the chain portions of the stitches is a very important feature of my invention, one advantage conferred by the twisted loops being the prevention of raveling or giving away of the series of stitches when the thread breaks at any single point, the twisted loops making each stitch in a great measure independent of the others. Another advantage of the twisted loops is the greater resistance they present to the surface on which they bear-than two parallel strands laid side by side without a twist, said resistance preventing them from sinking into or indenting the comparatively soft and spongy material found in the inner sole at the bottom of the channel cut therein. The strong tension to which the thread is subjected in taking up the loops renders the chain portions of the loops liable to cut into this material or between substance when the strands of the loops lie side by side, as usual, this liability being obviated by twisting the loops.

The described relative arrangement of the awl, welt-guide, looper, channel-guide, needle, and needle-guard, the awl, welt-guide, and looper being at one side of the channel-guide and the needle and guard at theopposite side, confers the following important advantages on the machine, viz:

First. The needle pulls the loops of the thread inwardly from the outer surface of the Welt, as shown in Figs. 24: and 25, and thereby draws the welt closely to its place. Heretofore in attaching welts to uppers and inner soles by machine-stitching the needle has usually been arranged to pull the loops of thread outwardly from the bottom of the channel, and therefore has had a tendency to pull the welt and the between substance outwardly or away from the body of the-inner sole. The inner sole is always damp or in temper during the stitching operation, so that the between substance is in a yielding condition and therefore easily pulled out of. place by the tension of the thread. The welt is liable, therefore, to be displaced outwardly by the stitching operation, as heretofore usually performed; but this liability is avoided in the operation of my improved machine. Second. The interlocked or chain portions of the stitches are formed in the channel of the inner sole and the single-thread portions are laid upon the welt. The single-thread portions, having a narrow bearing on the surface on which they rest, are more liable to cut or sink into said surface than the interlocked or chain portions. Hence if said singlethread portions were formed in the channel a, as they are by the operation of most weltattaching machines heretofore used, they would be supported only by the comparatively spongy and yielding material of the inner sole, which, as already stated, is more easily cut into or indented by the stitches than the welt, the latter being made of the best leather obtainable. It will be seen, therefore, that I utilize the superior strength and toughness of the welt to support the single-thread portions of the stitches and prevent the loosening of the stitches,which would be occasioned by the cuttingor sinking of the single-thread portions into the surface on which they rest.

The levers f p, which carrythe welt-guide and awl, oscillate on a center common to bothviz.,the stud g. Hence the welt-guide always moves in the same are with the awl and always holds the welt in the same position with relation to the needle, so that the awl will enter the welt at the same distance from the edge thereof in an y position that the weltguide can assume. It will be remembered that the movement of the welt-guide toward the channelguide depends upon the thickness of the between substance, and that the welt-guide does not always come to a bearing on the upper at the same distance from the point of the awl when the latter is fully projected. Hence if the awl and welt-guide were mounted on different centers the awl would not always enter the welt at the same distance from its edge.

It will be observed that the welt-guide is supported or held against the work with a ylelding pressure by the spring m and the slide is and the ribj, controlled by said spring when the needle is penetrating and withdrawing from the work and while the work is being fed by the awl, the welt-guide moving with the awl. After the feed movement and while the awl and welt-guide are returning to their starting position the slide is depressed, and the spring 2', which is relatively weaker than the spring 172, tends to move the welt-guide away from the work; but the force of said spring is not sufficient to separate the welt-guide from the work, the welt-guide being retained in light contact with the work by the last stitch and its predecessors, said stitch being in close proximity to the weltguide. The spring 2 therefore relieves the pressure of the welt-guide against the work while the welt-guide and awl are moving back to their starting-point without straining the seam by pulling the welt outwardlya result which might be accomplished if the weltguide were positively operated. It will also be observed that the pressure of the weltguide against the work while the needle is penetrating and withdrawing from the work enables the welt-guide to compress the material interposed between it and the fixed channel guide, and thus press the upper closely against its seat on the sole. The pressure thus exerted insures a tight seam or joint between the upper and sole without requiring as strong a tension on the thread as would be required if the thread were relied upon to draw the upper to a close bearing on its seat. Hence the thread and the stitch-forming devices are relieved of much of the strain that they would be subjected to if the welt-guide were not adapted to exert the described pressure.

I claim 1. In a solesewing machine, the combination, with a fixed channel-guide, of a laterallymovable work feeding and puncturing awl, which is solocated relative to said channelguide when making its work puncturing movement that a continuation of the line of movement of the said awl will intersect said channel-guide near its point, whereby the be tween substance of the work will be directly supported by said channel-guide against the thrust of the said awl.

2. In a sole-sewing machine, the combination, with a fixed channel-guide, of a laterallymovable work feeding and puncturing awl so located relative to said channel-guide when making its work-puucturing movementthata continuation of the line of movement of said awl will intersect the said channel-guide near its point, and means for so reciprocating said awl in the direction of its length that the forward movement thereof will be arrested before the point of said awl quite reaches the channel-guide, whereby a channel-guide which will not beimpinged against by the awl may be employed to support the between substance directly against the thrust of the said awl.

The combination, in a sole-sewing machine with a fixed channel-guide and acurved oscillating needle located when retracted at one side of said channel-guide, of a weltguide, a curved reciprocating awl, a looper, and a horizontally-movable rest, said weltgnide, awl, looper, and rest being all located at the opposite side of said channel-guide from the said needle, and the said channel-guide being located directly in the line of the path of the awl when the latter is making its puncturing movement.

at. The combination, with a fixed channelguide, of a welt-guide, a curved reciprocating awl, a looper, and a horizontally-movable rest, all located at one side of said channel-guide, a curved oscillating needle located when retracted at the opposite side of said channel'- guide, a guard co-operating with said needle, two oscillating levers supporting said awl and welt-guide and both mounted on a common center, whereby the awl and welt-guide are enabled to work in the same are and to move laterally together when the work is fed, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the fixed channelguide, the oscillating needle, and the needleguard, relatively arranged as described, of a welt-guide, a curved reciprocating awl, and a looper, all located at one side of the channelguide, two oscillating levers supporting said awl and welt-guide and mounted on a center common to both, and means for laterally reciprocating said levers to give the awl its feeding and its return or back-feed movements, as set forth.

(5. The combination of the fixed channelguide, the awl, the welt-guide, the levers p f, respectively supporting the awl and weltguide, a fixed center or stud, 011 which said levers are mounted to oscillate and move lat erally, independent means for oscillating said levers, and the lever a, cam w, and spring ,2, whereby said levers are reciprocated laterally, as set forth.

7. The combination, with the fixed channelgnide, of the welt-guide, the oscillatory lever f, supporting the same, the spring-supported slide it, having an incline j, adapted to normally support said lever and thereby hold the welt-guide against the work, a cam u, whereby said slide is depressed to release the leverf, and a spring i, whereby said lever is held against the incline, as set forth.

8. The combination, with the fixed channelguide and the stitch-forming mechanism, of the movable rest V, the toothed shank supporting said rest, the shaft having a pinion engaging the teeth of said shank, a ratchet on said shaft, a dog arranged to normally engage said ratchet and lock the rest, and means, substantially as described, for displacing said dog to release the rest, as set forth.

9. In a sole-sewing machine, the combination, with a curved reciprocating needle having ahook or barb and means for guiding a welted boot-or shoe in suitable relation to the path of the said needle, of a work-feeding device to move the work at right angles to the path of movement of the needle, a looper, and mechanism to give said looper a complete revolution and an additional half revolution around the needle, the said looper passing first under the needle in a direction opposite the feeding movement of the Work, then over the needle in a reverse direction, and then again under the needle in the same direction as before, substantially as set forth.

10. The combi11ation,with the curved barbed needle, of the looper having a thread-guidingeye, the lever O, supporting said looper, the grooved cam U, positively operating said lever O, the threearmed lever Q, having an arm Q, to which said lever O ispivoted, and an upper arm carrying the trunclle-1*ollQ*,tl1e peripheral cam T, and the spring S for holding said roll in contact with the said cam T,

whereby a revolving motion once and a half times around said needle is given to said looper.

11. The combination, with the fixed channel-guide,the work-feedingawl,and the stitchforming mechanism, of the welt-guide and the a\vl,botn movable laterally relative to the line of movement of the latter in piercing the stock, a spring, and devices oo-operating with the latter for pressing the welt-guide yieldingly against the upper during the insertion and withdrawal of the needle and the feeding of the work, and a relatively weaker spring, which acts on the welt-guide during the backward or return movement of the awl and well;- guide to relieve the said pressure without straining the seam, as set forth.

12. The combination, with a fixed channelguide, a work-feeding or laterally-movable aw], and stitch-forming mechanism, of a weltguide movable laterally with the awl, and means for pressing the welt-guide against the material at a point opposite the channel-guide during the insertion and removal of the needle, whereby the parts being united are eompressed independently of the thread and of ANDREW EPPLER, JR. Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN, ARTHUR W. CRossLnv. 

